Throgs Neck Bridge

Infobox_Bridge
bridge_name= Throgs Neck Bridge


caption= Aerial view of the Throgs Neck Bridge
official_name=
also_known_as=
carries= 6 lanes of I-295
crosses= East River
locale= Throgs Neck, the Bronx, and Bayside, Queens in New York City
maint= Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority (of the MTA)
id=
design= Suspension bridge
mainspan= 548.64 meters (1,800 feet)
length= 886.97 meters (2,910 feet)
width=
clearance=142 feet (43.3 m)
below=
traffic= 114,400 [cite web | url=https://www.nysdot.gov/portal/page/portal/divisions/engineering/technical-services/hds-respository/appendixctdr.pdf | accessdate=2007-05-05 | title=2005 NYSDOT Traffic Data Report: AADT Values for Select Toll Facilities]
open= January 11, 1961
closed=
toll= $5.00 as of March 16, 2008 (both directions per car in cash); $0.50 discount available with E-ZPass
map_cue=
map_

map_text=
map_width=
coordinates=coord|40|48|06|N|73|47|27|W|region:US_type:landmark|display=inline,title|name=Throgs Neck Bridge|source:nlwiki
lat=40.8059
long=-73.793728

The Throgs Neck Bridge is a suspension bridge opened on January 11, 1961 carrying Interstate 295 over the East River where it meets the Long Island Sound. The bridge connects the Throgs Neck section of the Bronx with the Bayside section of Queens. It is the newest bridge across the East River and was built to relieve traffic on the adjacent Whitestone Bridge which opened in 1939.

History

The Throgs Neck Bridge was planned and managed by Robert Moses. His first plan for a Throgs Neck span dates back to 1945, six years after his last project, the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge, was completed two miles to the west. This bridge was one of the few not intended for the Belt System of highways wrapping around Queens and Brooklyn. Moses commissioned famed New York City bridge designer Othmar Ammann. Ammann was the man behind the George Washington, Bronx-Whitestone, Verrazano-Narrows, and Triborough Bridges. This was Ammann's first long span job after 1940, which saw the collapse of the original Tacoma Narrows Suspension Bridge (known as Galloping Gertie) in Washington State. Instead of employing a rather streamlined-looking plate-girder system, Ammann constructed his bridge with 28-foot deep stiffening trusses under the deck. These would weighten the bridge and allow any wind to simply blow through, instead of against, the bridge.

During planning stages, Ammann had to build long, curved approaches (increasing the length of the roadway) in order to allow for water traffic beneath the span. The shores of Bayside and Throgg's Neck are rather low, so to build a bridge right over the water without approaches would leave almost no clearance under the bridge. Deck-raising began at each tower until crews met at the center, extending out to the approach viaducts. During planning, the bridge received the I-495 designation. During construction, the bridge became a part of I-78. Not until 1971 did the Throgs Neck become a part of I-295. Late in the 20th century the area underneath the Queens approaches became Little Bay Park.

The span is 1,800 feet (549 m) long, with an anchorage to anchorage total length of 2,910 feet (887 m). The bridge was designed without non-motorized access of any kind. There are also no regularly scheduled buses.

As of March 16, 2008, the crossing charge for a two-axle passenger vehicle is $5.00 charged in both directions, with a $0.50 discount for E-ZPass users. The crossing charge for a motorcycle is $2.00 charged in each direction, with a $0.25 discount for E-ZPass users.

The Throgs Neck Bridge is owned by the City of New York and operated by the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority, an affiliate agency of the MTA.

The Bridge in Popular Culture

The Throgs Neck span had its own segment on The History Channel's special, "Bridges of NYC".

In the Video game "Grand Theft Auto IV" Throgs Neck Bridge is known as Dukes Bay Bridge.

Trucks restricted to overnight hours

After a June 2005 inspection of the Throgs Neck Bridge, damage was found on the approach bridges, more severe away from the center median. Therefore, heavy trucks over 40 tons are permitted to use the bridge only between 11:00 PM and 5:00 AM, when traffic is lightest. [Chan, Sewell. [http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/01/nyregion/01bridge.html "Cracks on Throgs Neck Spur a Daytime Ban on Heavy Trucks"] , "The New York Times", October 1, 2005. Accessed September 2, 2008. "The authority has agreed to allow trucks up to 89,000 pounds - slightly higher than the weight limit - on the bridge's two center lanes, the strongest of the six traffic lanes. Under the proposed crackdown, trucks heavier than that may cross the bridge only from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m., and with an escort who will ensure that they are driven slowly, to minimize stress on the bridge. Other traffic would be restricted during such crossings."]

References

External links

* [http://www.mta.info/bandt/html/throgs.htm Throgs Neck Bridge] at [http://www.mta.info/bandt/ MTA Bridges and Tunnels]
* [http://www.nycroads.com/crossings/throgs-neck/ Throgs Neck Bridge] at [http://www.nycroads.com nycroads.com]
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Crossings navbox
structure = Crossings
place = East River
bridge = Throgs Neck Bridge
bridge signs =
upstream = Long Island Sound
upstream signs =
downstream = Bronx Whitestone Bridge
downstream signs =